Aside from her own family, there were only two people unrelated by blood to whom she had given the protective charm—one was Zhang Shuwan, and the other was Xie Ze.
“Yeah, sis, I know,” Xie Ze nodded repeatedly.
Then, he crouched down and scooped up both Xingxing and Yueyue in his arms.
“Little Uncle…”
“You two must listen to your mom and protect her, understand?”
Xingxing/Yueyue: Little Uncle, we know you love Mom the most, but we’re just toddlers barely over two years old.
Still, Xingxing and Yueyue nodded obediently.
They remembered what their dad had told them.
In this family, the person who needed the most protection was Mom.
They were part of this family, so they had to protect Mom too.
Xie Ze went on with his detailed instructions, chattering nonstop like a little chatterbox. In the end, it was Sheng Zexi who pulled him away, seeing that they’d miss the train if they didn’t board soon.
Xie Ze wore a slightly aggrieved expression. “Brother-in-law, you have a lot of luggage and the kids to take care of. Let me help you onto the train first.”
Sheng Zexi: Fine.
Since the train ride would take three days and three nights, and with children in tow, Sheng Zexi had naturally booked sleeper tickets.
The train was as crowded as ever, unchanged even after all these years.
Though they had a lot of luggage and the kids to manage, with Xie Ze and Sheng Zexi—two grown men—handling things, they boarded without much trouble.
Soon, they reached their seats.
Once the luggage was stowed away, Xie Ze had no choice but to leave.
Gu Jianing patted him on the shoulder. “Take good care of yourself from now on.”
“If you meet a girl you like, be bold and go after her.”
The first part of her words was fine, but the latter part made Xie Ze blush slightly. “Sis, since when did you start meddling in such things?”
Seemingly unwilling to dwell on the topic, Xie Ze reluctantly waved goodbye and left.
After getting off the train, Xie Ze didn’t leave immediately.
Instead, he watched as the train started moving, gradually pulling away until it disappeared from sight before he finally turned away.
Thinking about his sister’s words, Xie Ze mused: Sis might be disappointed. It’s likely he’d remain a bachelor for life.
Ever since he’d come of age, people around him had tried to set him up on blind dates.
He’d gone along with them.
Perhaps because he was an orphan himself, or perhaps because he’d grown accustomed to the love between Gu Jianing and Sheng Zexi, Xie Ze had always longed for a partner—someone to support and grow old with.
But after meeting Gu Jianing, he realized his standards had unconsciously risen.
During blind dates, he’d always compare the other person to his sister—expecting them to be beautiful, capable, and compatible with him.
So far, Xie Ze hadn’t met anyone who fit the bill.
So, he figured the odds of staying single were high.
But it didn’t matter. Xie Ze believed it was better to wait for the right person than to settle.
He didn’t want to force things or spend the rest of his life in chaos.
As the train vanished into the distance, Xie Ze turned to leave—only to spot a familiar figure.
“Li Tingxuan?”
Xie Ze was sure he wasn’t mistaken. That person was Li Tingxuan.
He knew of Li Tingxuan because, over two years ago, Li had been transferred to the Northwest Military District as a battalion commander.
Given Li Tingxuan’s background, combined with his looks and skills, he’d quickly made a name for himself in the Northwest Military District.
Without a doubt, Li Tingxuan was an exceptionally capable man.
In Xie Ze’s eyes, Li Tingxuan’s abilities were almost on par with his brother-in-law’s.
Moreover, Li Tingxuan was relentless—often away on missions, rarely spending much time at the base.
“Why is Li Tingxuan here?” Xie Ze wondered briefly.
But he only pondered it briefly before dismissing it and leaving.
After Xie Ze departed, Li Tingxuan’s figure reappeared.
Since arriving at the Northwest Military District, Li Tingxuan had restrained himself, avoiding any news about Gu Jianing.
He had also focused on rebuilding the Li family, throwing himself into his work over the past two years.
It was for the sake of his family—and to forget his feelings.
But recently…
When he learned that Sheng Zexi was being transferred out of the Northwest Military District and that Gu Jianing had also resigned, he couldn’t help but pay attention.
Today, knowing they were leaving, he couldn’t resist coming to see them off.
She was still as happy as ever.
Li Tingxuan thought, perhaps it was time to let go of these feelings.
Even though Gu Jianing had never known about them, and he had never revealed them to her.
Gu Jianing, I hope you’ll be happy for the rest of your life.
As for me…
Li Tingxuan raised his head to gaze at the blazing sun. He, too, had his own journey ahead.
…
This was Xingxing and Yueyue’s first time on a train since they were born.
The train had everything, and the people were so nice.
The two little ones were brimming with curiosity, their big round eyes darting everywhere, unable to stay still.
Whenever they saw something interesting or new, they’d tug at Gu Jianing to show her.
The family of four had drawn many curious glances since boarding the train.
It was no surprise—their looks were simply too striking.
Sheng Zexi was tall and imposing, with sharp, well-defined features. His posture and gait made it obvious he was a military man.
Gu Jianing, who had been charming and radiant even before motherhood, now carried an added grace and tenderness, making her undeniably beautiful.
As for Xingxing and Yueyue—one took after Gu Jianing in looks, the other after Sheng Zexi. Even at their young age, they were already adorable, like little angels.
And they had been raised well.
At just over two years old, they were plump, fair, and soft, with lively, intelligent eyes—the kind of children elders doted on most.
Sure enough, along the way, the two little ones received plenty of treats from doting grandmas and grandpas.
The chatterbox Yueyue, with her sweet mouth, especially had everyone laughing.
Since birth, the two had always been well-behaved.
Now, Xingxing watched as the train sped past endless greenery outside, blinking his big eyes and saying in a milky voice, “Mama, the green train is going so fast.”
“Whoosh—it passes so much in just a second!”
Gu Jianing held Xingxing and replied, “The train isn’t even the fastest. Airplanes in the sky are much quicker.”
“Airplane? I know! Daddy can fly airplanes! Daddy gave Xingxing airplane!”
That was right—Sheng Zexi had flown planes before. He’d told Xingxing and Yueyue about it and had even made Xingxing a model plane out of bullet casings.
As for why Yueyue didn’t get one?
It wasn’t that she wasn’t given one—she just didn’t like it.
Yueyue preferred pretty clothes, hair clips, and things like that.
“Right now, we’re on the train. When we get the chance, Mama and Daddy will take you on a plane.”
Unexpectedly, Xingxing shook his head.
“Not ride plane.”
“Hmm?” Gu Jianing was curious. “Not ride? Then what does Xingxing want to do?”
“Fly plane!” As he spoke, Xingxing mimed steering a control stick with both hands.
Leave a Reply